Chapter 538: Battle for the Periphery of Tongliao II
In view of the importance of Kongjiawo Fort, the 14th Division originally deployed a large number of troops to defend Kongjiawo Fort, the eastern gateway of Tongliao County. Three infantry squadrons and one engineer squadron were deployed along the entire Kongjiawo Fort line.
There is one squadron each of heavy machine guns and infantry artillery, as well as a temporarily formed mountain artillery squadron using four German-made Grusen 57 mountain guns dug out from the Kwantung Army warehouse.
Not counting grenades, the entire front-line Japanese army in Kongjiawo Fort had eight infantry guns and 57mm mountain guns. As for the heavy machine guns, they far exceeded the establishment of a squadron. The actual number was as high as sixteen, which was almost the same.
Based on the number of establishments of two heavy machine gun squadrons.
As for the light machine guns, in addition to the crooked light machine guns that the Fourteenth Division has suffered heavy losses last year and has insufficient new light weapons, and has now been reverted to the crooked light machine guns, there are also an additional 20 Czech-style light machine guns. Although its total force configuration is only
It is equivalent to a reinforced brigade, but the firepower configuration of light and heavy machine guns and artillery is almost equivalent to that of a regiment of other Japanese divisions.
The old-fashioned 57mm Gruson Mountain Cannon, although its effective range is not as far as the 92 Infantry Cannon. Compared with the 92 Infantry Cannon, its power is also quite different. However, when placed in fortifications as infantry close artillery support,
It can still play a certain role. Although the total number is only more than 200 rounds of artillery shells, it can still provide some fire support after all.
Moreover, Lieutenant General Chuan Binmi also strengthened the defenders on the front line of Kongjiawo Fort with twelve Type 97 20mm automatic cannons and Liao 14 Type 37
There are six infantry flat-fire guns, two each of the 94-type 37 rapid-fire guns and the 77-mm Liao 14-type field guns, forming an anti-tank firepower cluster.
At the same time, there are one permanent fortification group in the north and south directions of Kongjiawo Fort, and the Dongbaoliyingzi area south of the railway. There are more than 60 various semi-permanent fortifications and light and dark bunkers in total. Along the two railway lines
A complete defense system and cross-fire network were formed on both sides.
And when the Japanese army was fighting fiercely on the Bayantala battlefield, they used the few days that the northern defenders had bought for the entire Tongliao battlefield. They used the natural rivers and trenches around Kongjiawo Fort, as well as the number of people trapped in this generation at that time.
Thousands of workers dug three anti-tank trenches in three directions: north, east and south in a short period of time.
Judging from the quantity of firepower and troop allocation, Lieutenant General Kawami Miji has put in a lot of effort. The infantry of the size of a brigade is equipped with only two field guns, and their performance is better than the standard Japanese Type 41 mountain gun.
Wing artillery is much better than field artillery, and this standard is unique in the firepower configuration of Japanese field divisions.
According to the judgment of Lieutenant General Kawami Mi, relying on the favorable fortifications and the small street base, it consisted of eight 14-year-old 77mm field guns, three 41-type mountain guns, and two 120mm howitzers.
Under the fire support of a very powerful artillery group, even if the Anti-Japanese Alliance had the cooperation of tanks, they could hold on to the front line of Kongjiawo Fort for at least three to five days.
Because the front line of Kongjiawo Fort not only has a solid fortification group to use, but also the fire support it receives far exceeds that of the other two defensive areas in the north and south. The most critical thing is the Japanese defenders on the front line of Kongjiawo Fort, because the distance is extremely
You can receive quick support from reinforcements in Tongliao City at any time.
But he did not expect that the result was quite beyond his expectation. The Kongjiawobao defense line he had worked so hard to manage was completely broken through in less than six hours. And the two squadrons of reinforcements he sent had just left Tongliao.
The county town was hit by a dense rain of rockets.
Although during the fierce battle on the front line of Kongjiawo Fort, Lieutenant General Chuan Bingmi organized reinforcements many times and mobilized as much artillery fire as possible to provide fire support to Kongjiawo Fort. However, he was still unable to break through the opponent's long-range
Fire interception, and because his artillery was at a disadvantage in terms of range, he could only watch the opponent's artillery shells explode on the reinforcement route, and was unable to gain access to the anti-alliance rocket artillery positions.
Under the tight blockade, even though several small troops rushed over after suffering heavy casualties. But considering the intensity of the battle on the front line of Kongjiawo Fort, the few people who rushed over were nothing more than a drop in the bucket. And the Kong family
The battle on the front line of Wo Fort only lasted six hours, and Lieutenant General Chuan Binmi did not have many ways to change the situation of the battle. He could only watch the front line of Kongjia Wo Fort being captured by two battalions of the 54th Regiment.
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As the second batch of troops to enter the battlefield, the 18th Division obviously accepted the lessons learned by the 3rd Division in attacking the Japanese fortification area in Bayantala. Not only did the 53rd Regiment change its tactics, but it also achieved more than imagined in two hours.
The effect. Although the 54th Regiment's attack on the front line of Kongjiawo Fort was not as spectacular as the 53rd Regiment's battle in the north of Tongliao, it still achieved the planned combat goal within six hours.
During the battle, the two battalions of the 54th Regiment, which were the main attackers, took advantage of the entire defense system of the Japanese army and were divided into two parts by the Tongliao-Shuangliao railway line. Their defensive focus was on the north of the road. In addition to frontal attacks,
Two companies of troops were also divided, and with the cooperation of a tank platoon, they detoured to Lunan, starting from Lunan, which had the weakest defense.
During the battle in Lunan, flamethrowers were used with engineers, using fire and continuous large-scale blasting. First, they broke through the flanks of the entire Japanese defense zone in Kongjiawo Fort, and contacted and captured Dongbaoli Camp, the Japanese defense support point in Lunan.
After the enemy and the pocket force camped together, they forcibly interspersed attacks towards Lubei, cooperating with the main frontal offensive.
While the troops in the south of Lu were fighting, in the front of the core area of the entire Kongjiawo Fort front-line Japanese defensive position in the north of the road, forward infantry was used to guide the tanks to use direct firepower outside the anti-tank trenches, clearing out the permanent areas bit by bit.
Field fortifications on the periphery of the fortifications. Open channels for infantry attacks and provide fire support.
The infantry then used the cover of tank direct-aiming artillery fire to quickly break through the Japanese anti-tank trenches and attack the Japanese army in depth. For the Japanese permanent fortification groups, earthworks operations were carried out under the cover of smoke grenades launched by mortars. Smoke.
If there were not enough ammunition, mortars would be used to fire incendiary bombs around the Japanese permanent fortifications.
After using the 57 recoilless rifles and rocket launchers, highly penetrating 14mm anti-aircraft machine guns, and tank direct-aiming artillery to clear the surrounding cover fortifications, we started from the Japanese anti-tank trenches and dug passages directly to the Japanese permanent fortifications.
After reaching the bottom of the group, adopt the tactics of blasting with large-yield explosives.
The two battalions of the 54th Regiment participating in the battle adopted a combination of frontal and flank assaults. The tanks used direct aiming and precise shooting outside the anti-tank trench to clear the periphery. The infantry fired at close range and combined the tactics of far and near fire. Under the cover of the rocket launcher group behind them,
Although the fight was very hard, the hard bone was finally broken down within six hours.
However, after this battle, the rocket artillery unit of the 18th Division, which was responsible for intercepting Japanese reinforcements from Tongliao City, consumed a considerable amount of artillery shells. If Lieutenant General Kawami Mi's reinforcements had not arrived a little later, the battle in Lunan would have
Reinforcements will be started only after the situation has been resolved. I am afraid that after this battle, the ammunition in the hands of the rocket artillerymen of the 18th Division will be exhausted. Support for subsequent battles will not be needed, at least in the short term.
The two regiments of the 18th Division that participated in the battle learned the lessons of the Third Division on the Bayantala battlefield and fought very well. In a short period of time, they broke through the two Japanese defense lines to the north and east.
As a result, the anti-alliance forces on the northern battlefield have reached Tongliao County, while on the eastern front, they have torn apart the last barrier of Tongliao County.
For Lieutenant General Chuan Bingmi, the Xiliao River, which is currently in the flood season, serves as a natural barrier to the north and west. Even if the Anti-Alliance frontiers are thrust right in front of his nose, there is no big problem.
There is no means of crossing the river, and at most there is only some pressure. However, the danger that the front line of Kongjiawo Fort was captured and brought to the defense of the entire Tongliao County is completely different.
The Kongjiawobao defense line, which serves as the eastern barrier of Tongliao County, was completely breached within six hours, which had a very negative impact on the overall defense system of Tongliao. Except for the area from Zhangcaiyuanzi to Dongwazi, which is adjacent to Tongliao County,
Apart from the front line and several supporting points in Panjiayao, there are no obstacles that can stop the progress of the Anti-Japanese Alliance in the entire east of Tongliao County.
If the loss of the Qianjiadian line farther east is insignificant to Lieutenant General Sichuan Binmi, then the loss of the Kongjiawo Fort line is no different to Tongliao City to him and the entire Tongliao garrison.
In fact, the door is already wide open. With the cooperation of tanks, the Anti-Japanese Alliance can rush to the Tongliao city wall within an hour.
Knowing that the situation was serious, Lieutenant General Sichuan Binmi ignored the interception of artillery fire by the Anti-Japanese Alliance and concentrated nearly half of the troops that could be concentrated in Tongliao City. He was currently the oldest in the entire 14th Division and the only one among the three regiment commanders in the First World War last year.
The surviving commander of the 2nd Regiment, Colonel Onimu Gobi, commanded an immediate counterattack out of the city.
In order to retake the front line of Kongjiawo Fort as soon as possible, he not only used the artillery group that originally supported the battle in the east of the city. He also deployed his artillery group from Tongliao and Guandong from the artillery position of Jigu Temple in the north of the city that was firing at the anti-alliance artillery on the north bank of the Liao River in the west.
The four 150mm howitzers pulled out from the army's combat readiness warehouse, as well as the four 120mm howitzers from the division's artillery wing, were also strengthened to the east of the city.
Lieutenant General Sichuan Binmi's intention is very clear, which is to try to use the sufficient artillery shells and the opportunity of the Anti-Japanese Alliance's unsteady foothold and fatigue after a long battle to cover the counterattack forces and retake the front line of Kongjiawo Fort. To retake Kongjiawo Fort, this
Tactical barrier in the eastern part of Tongliao County.
Faced with the rapid counterattack of the Japanese army under the cover of fierce artillery fire, knowing the gains and losses of Kongjiawo Fort, and the importance of seizing Tongliao County in the next step, the main force of the 54th Regiment, regardless of fatigue and casualties, launched a fierce battle with the Japanese army on the spot.
A fierce battle took place in the small village of Kongjiawobao.
Lieutenant General Kawanami could not recapture the front line of Kongjiawo Fort, and he himself did not need to be under the threat of returning. Last year, Captain Onimu Mayo, who had a lucky escape after losing more than half of his troops and division headquarters, knew that this man had just taken office.
Catching up with this war, I once served as the captain of the Sixth Regiment that fought from Shanghai to Wuhan, and was the division commander of the field force. Unlike the former head of a secret service, he was better at spy work than commanding operations.
Lieutenant General Seiichi Kita is so easy to fool.
After the battle last year, Lieutenant General Kita Seiichi took all the responsibility for the defeat of the 14th Division on himself. Even though he abandoned the division headquarters, he was not held accountable. But the man in front of him has always been hard-line. A famous lieutenant general would definitely not be as generous as Commander Kita Division.
If he told himself to commit seppuku, I'm afraid no one could save him except the commander of the Kwantung Army who could save his life. But Onimbu Goichi, the commander of the army, left the division headquarters last year and fled first, spreading throughout Japan. It was an old story that the Army had already signed up. No matter how I looked at it, the Kwantung Army headquarters had no reason to pardon myself, who was not yet a general, this time.